Lent Sermon on Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Pastor Jennifer Garcia

There’s always some irony in reading this passage from the Gospel of Matthew on Ash Wednesday. Jesus encourages us not to show off our spiritual practices but to let them be just between us and God:

Give anonymously, pray privately, fast inconspicuously.

And we read this passage on the one day of the year when we do a spiritual ritual that involves something visible on our foreheads. It’s one of the few days of the year when our faith tradition is most conspicuous—written on our bodies.

Likewise, there’s some irony in Ash Wednesday falling on Valentine’s Day this year. One of our most solemn and somber holy days falls on the day our culture celebrates romantic love.

Our mortality and our sentimentality coexist this year.

But there’s also something fitting about all these contradictions and strange pairings. Because all of it is about relationships.

In our Gospel reading, Jesus teaches us how to relate to God. This isn’t about salvation; Jesus has already taken care of that. God loves us forever and nothing we can do will make God love us any more or any less.

And,now that God has given us that gift, we get to respond. In our reading, Jesus teaches us a way to respond to God’s amazing grace. How we respond by learning about God, delighting in God, and thanking God is called “discipleship:”being a lifelong learner about our grace-filled God. That’s what our reading is about.

Jesus teaches us that discipleship isn’tabout being holier-than-thou with our neighbors. It’s not about making sure we get a pat on the back from our colleagues or making our rivals jealous of how our bodies look after restricting what we eat and calling it fasting. It’s not about how we’re perceived by others. It’s about quality time with God.

This is where there’s some overlap with Valentine’s Day. If I take my spouse out on an elaborate date tonight just so I can post it on social media and make people jealous but I’m not actually doing it out of care, regard, and love for my spouse, that’s going to be pretty obvious to him, and that’s not going to earn me any brownie points. My performance of love is not the same as love.

It's the same as discipleship. Performative discipleship that makes me feel holy and better than other people is not discipleship.

So, let’s set aside some of our expectations of what Lent “should” look like.Let’s let this season be about relationship instead of restriction orshame.

This is all between you and God. You and God get to decide what’s right for you in this season. I have suggestions, but feel free to disregard any of them that don’t feel right.

Feel free to try something new. Do you normally give something up? Try taking something on instead. Or vice versa.

This year at First Lutheran, we’ve been exploring the theme of Sabbath. If you’re inclined to take on a Lenten discipline this year, I encourage you to try different restful practices. See what they do for your well-being and the way you notice God in your life.

Are you feeling physically tired? Maybe finding time for a nap or some meditation or taking time to rub lotion into your tired hands and feet before bed would be helpful.

Are you feeling mentally tired? Maybe do something methodical like doodling while listening to relaxing music or taking a walk.

Are you feeling emotionally tired? Can you call a friend once a week as your Lenten discipline? Or maybe journal for 10 minutes a day as prayer?

Are you feeling spiritually tired? What would it look like to read scripture in a different way? Do you normally read small chunks? Maybe try reading more at a time. Or if you normally read quite a bit, try reading a single verse over and over. Or try a spiritual practice you don’t frequently do:light a candle, pray for your neighborhood on a walk, pray out loud or silently or write it down or draw your prayer.

There are so many options. If you’re having trouble choosing, talk to me—I’d love to brainstorm with you.

My hope is that you’ll find what works and doesn’t work for you, what helps you notice God more and what distracts you from God.

This Lent, how can you slow down and notice how God is working in your life?

Our powerful God created the whole universe and then rested.

God provided for God’s people in the wilderness so they could rest.

God included restful practices in the Law so that God’s people would rest and remember that their freedom came from God.

God in Jesus took time apart from the crowds to rest and pray.

God invites you, too, to rest and to enjoy God’s company.

On this day when we remember both love and mortality, let’s remember to use the time we’ve been given well. Let’s use it for love. I’m going to borrow poet Mary Oliver’s words and ask, “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”